Warehouse door



R. s. PEELLE WAREHOUSE DOOR April 23, 1929.

1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 5,

April 23, 1929. s, PEELLE 1,709,872

WAREHOUSE noon Filed Dec. s, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 yam/KM WWW A TTORNE Y Patented Apr. 23,1920.

UNETE SATES hfl hl Fi ROBERT S. PEELLE, F HOLLIS, NEW] YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE PEEIiIiE COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

WAREHOUSE DOOR.

Application filed December 3, 1926. Serial No. 152359;

sist of two sections, the upper of which is hinged to the building wall adjacent the lintel of the door opening, and the lower section of which is hinged to the upper section. The lower section is so controlled by a guide rail structure as to cause the bottom of this sectionto move in a substantially verticalline so that with the application of power toward the bottom of the lower sec-.

tion, the two sections will be caused to fold inwardly of a door opening. Counterweights are used to ensure ease of movement of both sections. Doors of this general construction are old and well known in the warehouse door art, my invention relating more particularly to a mechanism for opening and closing such doors, which is so constructed as to embody therein an automatically acting mechanical limit stop by which upward movement of the door, or of the counterweight will be automatically arrested when the door has reached the fully opened or the fully closed position.v

While a door embodying my invention will be fully closed as a result of the functioning of the actuating mechanism therefor, the construction is such that it is necessary to manually break the joint between the two sections of the door before the actuating mechanism can become operative to open the door, so that the door of my invention comes within the classification of a semiautomatic door, since a part of the opening movement must be effected manually.

The door is so constructed, however, that its weight, during the closing movement, may be utilized to cause a full closing of the door without the application of manual force thereto, the means employed for this purpose being adjustable for the purpose of not only taking up wear, but for securing a 'fine adjustment of parts necessary to secure the desired action of the door.

In a door embodying my invention, the counterweight or weights in addition to counterbalancing the door during its opening and closing movements, is utilized as part of the actuating mechanism in limiting the opening movement of the door.

The actuating mechanism employed in a door embodying the invention while e'ltective and reliable in restricting theapplication of power to the door only during either the opening or' closing movement, is simple in the design and arrangement of parts, and may be efleetively used in doors of any size and weight, it being not uncommon for doors of this type to have a width of thirty or forty feet, a height of twelve to fifteen feet and a weight of from one-half to one ton,

or even more. I

My invention consists primarily in a warehouse door embodying an upper section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door open ing, a lower section hinged thereto, co-oper at-ing means adjacent the jambs of the door opening and carried by and permittingpivotal movement of said lower section, whereby the lower portion thereot is caused to have only a substantially vertical and turnmg movement, counterweighting means for said sections, tleirible means operatively engaging the lower-door section adjacent the bottom thereof and operative upon said counter-weighting means, pinch groove pulleys over which said flexible means pass from sald lower section to said counter-- weighting means, guides for said flexible means, means-arresting movement of said eounterweighting means in one direction, whereby said pinch groove pulleys may be caused. to impart simultaneous movement in opposite directions to said door sections and to said counter-weighting means when opening or closing the door, and willbe made inoperative to impart further movement to said door when movement of said counterweighting means is arrested, or the door is fully closed, and means whereby power may be applied to said pinch groove pulleys; and in such other novel features of construction and combination otparts as are hereinafter set forth and destribed, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referrmgto the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a condensed view in elevation of llO Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, indicates the wall of a building adjacent a door opening, 11 the fioorofa building, 12 the lintel of a door opening, and 13 the opposite jambs thereof.

The door structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings is of a wide heavy construction, said door actually being about twenty feet in width and about fourteen feet inheight, and weighing close to a ton. The

upper section 14 of this door is hinged adja cent the lintel 12 by means of hinges 15, and the lower section 16 is hinged to the lower edge of the section 14 by means of hinges 17, the bottom of this section 16 hav.- ing 'a fairly close fit with the floor 11 when the door is in the closed position. The adjacent edges of the sections 14 and 16 are preferably rabbetted at 18 as shown (Fig. 2), or otherwise constructed to close the seam between the sections 14 and 16 when the door is in the closed position. When heavy, wide doors are used, truss rods 19, or other reinforcing neans may be applied to the lower, or either door section.

The hinges 15 are so set as to permit an upward and inward swinging movement of the section 14. The hinges 17 are so set as to permit the section 16 to fold below the section 14 with the upwagd movement of the door.

The door jambs 13 and' the lower section 16 adjacent the bottom thereof are ro'vided with co-operating means by which't e lower part of the door section 16 is caused to have a vertical movement accompanied by a turning .or a swivelingaction necessary to the lower section durin the folding movement of the two door sect ons. While this means may take avariety of different forms, in the form of the invention. shown, it comprises vertically extending U-channel tracks 2021, and anti-friction rollers 2223 mounted upon trunnion fittings 24- 25 secured to the door section 16.

To ease the movements of the door in both opening and closing same, and as a necessary part of the actuating mechanism by which the door is opened and closed, I provide counterweighting means which in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises ordinary weights 26- and 27 each of which 'is approximately one-half the weight of the door. In the form of the invention .shown in Fig. 3, which is particularly therein .flexible means consisting preferably of two ropes 28 and 29, which may be of wire if desired, one end of each of which ropes is secured by means of a swiveling fitting such as the shackle 30 or 31 rotatably mounted upon the trunnion fittings 2425 respectively, thus being connected with the door section 16 adjacent the bottom thereof. These. ropes also act upon the counterweights 26 and 27 respectivelyin the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the arrangement being such as to ensure a shorter vertical movement of the counter: weights than of the lower part of the door section 16 by securing the opposite end of each rope to what is known as a dead end fitting 3233, and passing the ropes respectively about a pulley of the second class 34 or 35 upon the top of the counter-weights 26--27.

In passing from the door section 16 to the counterweight 26, the rope 28 passes about guiding means consisting of the pulleys 36 and 37 and about a pinch groove pulley 38 actuated from a small motor 39. The rope 29 passes about similar "uiding means consisting of the pulleys 45 and 41, and about a second pinch groove pulley 42, actuated from the said motor. The pinch groove pulleys 38 and 42 co-operate with the portions of the ropes 28 and 29 passing from the guide pulleys 36 and 40 to'the guide pulleys 37 and 41 respectively.

By this arrangement, the p rtionsof the rope upon opposite sides of the pinch. groove pulleys 38and 42 respectively are subjected to the load of the dobr, orof a portion thereof, and the load of the counterweights atface of the equalizing pulley 34 upon the counterweight 26. These pulleys 36 and 37 are laterally offset in relation to each other in the embodiment of the invention shown, because-in this particular design of door, the weight 26 is arranged at one side of jambs 13. s

jThe arrangement of the pulleys 4041 and 35 at the other side of the door is the same as that heretofore described. Y

The. pinch groove pulleys 38 and 42 are positioned, intermediate the jambs 13, the motor 39 being-located well within the building. Both pulleys 38 and 42 are mounted the upon the same shaft 43, which is driven from the shaft 44 of the motor by any desired form of power transmission mechanism, the details of which are not shown in the drawings.

By reason of the location of the pinch groove pulleys 38--42 intermediate the j ambs, it is essential, in order to cause simultaneous similar direction in the application must be brought close to the sill 12 to form a weather-tight joint at this point. To obviate this condition, I provide the lower edge of the section 16 with projections upon the side thereof opposite to the hinges 17 which will engage the sill slightly before, or substantially simultaneously with the two sec:

tions 14 and 16 coming into the same vertical plane, so that the-weight-ot the door upon said projectionswill cause a slight pivotal action of both sections about the hinges 17. The amount of this movement is merely sulliciently great to force the adjacent edges of the door sections outwardly and bring the hinges beyond the vertical center so as to secure an effective closing of the door.

In the form of the invention shown, these projections comprise stop bolts and 46 mounted adjacent the opposite sides of the section 16 preferably by means of brackets upon the trunnion fittings 24 and 25. Each of'these stop bolts is provided with a lock nut as 47 or 48. By this construction the desired accuracy may be secured and any wear upon the parts may be taken'up by a readjustment of the bolts 45 and 46. The

amount of movement occasioned by the use of such projections is very small. The purpose of these bolts 45 and 46 is to momentarily arrest downward movement of the lower section when the door is in substantially the fully closed position bymeans positioned at the side of the lower section opposite to that'of'the hinges and thus force the two door sections at the point 9f their hinged connection, slightly beyond the vertical center of said hinges. By mounting said projections upon the door section itself in the manner described. T am enabled to provide a simple and effective means for securing this result, but it is obvious that other arrangements having the same operative effect maybe employed.

I may also provide in the device an emergency hand tackle 49 operative upon the shaft 43 to permit the manual opening or closing of the door in the event of an interruption of power, or other motor troubles.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings, T have illustrated the use or" a single counterweight and a single cable or rope for opening and closing the door. Tn this construction, the counterweightis shown at 50, and has at the top thereof a pulley of the first class, or

equalizing pulley 51. Above the housing for the counterweight are two guide pulleys 52 and 53 over which the rope from opposite sides of the pulley 51 passes. Adjacent each jainb is a pulley 54 or 55 rotating about a vertical axis, and a second pulley 56 or 57 rotating about anaxis parallel with the wall. Mounted upon a shaft 58 parallel with the wall of the building are two pinch groove pulleys 59 and 60. With this arrangement a single cable or rope'61 is used. The run of the rope is as follows.

"One end of the rope is attached to the shackle 30 from which it passes about the pulley 56, the pinch groove pulley 59, the pulleys 55-52, to the equalizing pulley 51, back about the pulley 53, the pulley 54, the other pinch groove pulley 60, and the pulley 57 to the other shackle 31. This arrangement is particularly adapted for use with doors of lighter construction thanthat shown in Figs. 1 and 2/ The operation of doors embodying the invention is substantially as follows I Assuming the door to be in the fully closed position, it is first necessary to manually break the joint at the hinges 17 between the two door sections. The circuit is then closed to the motor 39, thus rotating the shaft 43 and the fixed pulleys 38 and 42 contra-clockwise (Fig. 1). Under this condition, the cables or, ropes 28 and 29 will be held in close frictional engagement with the pinch groove pulle s 38 and 42 respectively by the counterweig ts 26'and 27, and by the resistance of the weight of the door so that the turning of these pulleys will result in the taking up of the portion of saidropes between the pulleys 3842 and the lower door section, and the paying out of the rope between said pulleys and the counterweights respectively.

The result will be an upward movement of the lower door section, accompanied by a folding of the two sections 14 and 16 together at the hinges 17 Since the tracks 20 and 21 will limit the movement of the lower door section to a directly vertical movement, this folding action isnecessary to permit the opening of the door.-

lVith the upward movement of the door section 16, the weights 26 and 27 will descend, the rate of the descent of these countel-weights, however. being one-half that of the upward movement of the lower part of the door section 16. So long as the counterweight is free to descend, the pinch groove pulleys will impart a continuing opening movement to the door. When, however, the bottom of the counterweight strikes an obstruction, such. as the floor of the building at the bottom of the housing for the counterweights, the load upon one side of each pinch groove pulley will be relieved, so that slippage will occur between said pulleys and the ropes 28 and 29 and thus arrest further upward movement of the door section 16. As a consequence, when the door is in the fully opened position, the motor will be automatically made inoperative to impart further movement thereto even though it may be permitted to continue to run. Hence the construction described afiords an automatic mechanical limit stop movement ensuring a full opening of the door without requiring any attention from the operator.

When it is desired to close the door, power is applied to the motor to cause the rotation of the pinch groove pulleys 38 and 42 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1), thus taking up the cables or ropes 28 and 29 between the counterweights and said pulleys, and paying said ropes or cables out between said pulleys and the shackles and 31 upon the lower door section 16. With this condition, the counterweights, 26 and 27 will be raised,

,and the'door sections 14 and 16 will be lowered, the speed ratio of the movement of these parts being the same as when opening the door, and the pinch groove pu leys acting in the same manner as heretofore described until' the two sections 14 and 16 are in, or are substantially in, vertical alinement. At this time, the projections 45 and 46 willengage the floor of the building, so that the entire weight of the door sections will have an unbalanced condition sufficient to cause-their tilting slightly toward the hinges 17 until the edge of the lower section 16 opposite the projections 4546 strikes the floor of the building, or until further movement is prevented by the doors passing the vertical center ofthe hinges.

When the door reaches-the fully closed position, the'wcight upon the cables or ropes 28 and 29 extending from the pinch groove pulleys to the shackles 30 and 31 will be relieved so that the pinch groove pulleys will cease to be operative to lift the weights 26 and 27, no particular care being required of the operator to prevent injury due to theoverrunning of the counterweight-s.

It will be observed that in both opening and closing the door there is a mechanical limit stop action, and that while the manual breaking of the joint between the two door sections is necessary, that the final closing of the doorand the bringing of the hinges 17 off center is entirely automatic.

In doors of the type to which my invention relates, compactness in the construction and arrangement of parts is desirable and sometimes necessary. The use of pulleys 34 and. 35 ofthe second class is resorted. to

because the counterweights are of a length which will not admit of avertical movement thereof as great as that ofthe portion of the door section 16 to which the cables or ropes 28 and 29 are attached.

If the stops and 46 are not used to cflect an automatic final closing movement of the two door sections, it will be necessary to cause the tilting action of the two sections by the application of force thereto by the operator.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the operation of the door will he as herein described in connection with the term of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except as to the run of theflexible connection 61 and the quantity of movement of the counterweight. When a continuous flexible connection is used, portions thereof passing to the pulley 51 upon opposite sides thereof, will each have a movement equaling the full opening movement of the door. Consequently, the counterweight will have a. vertical rise and fall corresponding with that of the lower section of the door. As a consequence, provision must be made for the necessary vertical movement of this counterweight, which may be done by a proper proportioning of the length of the counterweight and of the positioning of same with relation to the floor of the building, or other means used for'stopping the counterweight. lVith lighter door's, there is usually sufliciem heading above the lintel to accommodate a weight of the necessary length.

'WVith larger and higher doors, however, it is preferable to use a construction and arrangcment of parts like that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Whenever possible, standard equipment and layouts for the installation of doors embodying the invention are used, but there are instances when the floor layout and structural conditions about the door opening are such that standard equipment cannot be used. Under such conditions the general arrangement of the pinch groove pulleys and guide pulleys may be varied'lo meet unusual conditions, while still preserving the essential characteristics of the invention and the desired mode of operation. i

The load of the counterweights and of the two door sections are balanced with suflicient nicety to minimize the power required for actuating the doors, but the power unit may embody therein a transmission mechanism of the usual type which will check any ten dency of the door to close except under the control of the power unit.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

v1. A warehouse door embodying an upper section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a lower section hinged thereto, cooperating means adjacent the jambs of the opening, a lower section hinged thereto, prodoor opening and carried by and permitting pivotal movement of said lower section, whereby the lower portion thereof is caused to have only a substantially vertical and turning movement, counterweighting means for said sections, flexible means operatively engaging the lower door section adjacent the bottom thereof and operative upon "said counterweighting means, pinch groove pulleys over which said flexible means passfrom said lower section to said counterweighting means, guides for said flexible means, means arresting movement of said counterweighting means in one direction,

'whereby said pinch groove pulleys may be the side of said lower section, opposite the hinged connections between same and said upper section, said projections being adapted to engage the sill of a jections upon door opening slightly before or substantially simultaneously with the sections coming into,

the same vertical plane, and cause pivotal action of both sectlons" about the hinges conne'cting same, co-operating means adjacent the jambs of the door'opening and carried by and permitting pivotal movement of said lower section, .whereby the lower portion thereof is caused to have only a substantially vertical and turning movement, counterweighting means for said sections, flexible means operativelyengaging the lower door section adjacent the bottom thereof and operative upon :said. icounterweighting means, pinch groove ,pulleys over which said flexible means pass from said lower section to said counterweighting means, guides for said flexible means, means arresting movement-of said counterweighting means in one direction, whereby said pinch groove pulleys may be causedito impart simultaneous movement in opposite directions to said door sections and to said counterweightmg means when opening or closing the door, and will be made inoperative to impart further movement to said door when movement of said counterweighting means is arrested, or the door is fully closed, and means whereby power may be applied to said pinch groove pulleys.-

3. A warehouse door embodying an upper section hin ed adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a ower section hinged thereto, stop bolts adj ustably mounted adjacent the lower edge of said lower section upon the side thereof opposite to the hinges connecting same with said upper section and adapted,

to engage the sill of a door opening slightly before or substantially simultaneously with the two sections'coming into the same vertical plane, and cause pivotal action of both I sections about the hinges connecting same, co-operating means adjacent the'jambs of the door opening and carried by and per-,

mitting pivotal movement of said lower sec tion, whereby the lower portion thereof is I caused to have only a substantially vertical and turning, movement, counterweighting means for said sections, flexible means operatively engaging the lower door section adjacent the .bottom thereof and operative upon said counterweighting means, pinch groove pulleys over which said flexible means pass from said lower section to said counterweighting means, guides for-said flexible means, means arresting movement of said counterweighting means in one direction, whereby said pinch groove pulleys maybe caused to impart simultaneous movement in opposite directions to said door sections and to said counterweightmg means when opening or closing the door, and will be made inoperative to impart further movement to said door when movement of said counterweighting means is arrested, or the door is fully closed, andmeans whereby power may be appliedto said pinch groove pulleys.

4. A; warehouse door embodying an upper section hinged adjacentythe lintel of a door opening, a lower section hinged thereto, c0-

operating means adjacent the jambs'of the door opening and carried by and permitting pivotal movement of said lower section, whereby the lower portion thereof is caused to have only a substantially vertical and turning movement, counterweights'at opposite sides of a door opening, a pulley carried by each of said counterweight's, a shaft, two pinch groove pulleys upon said shaft, guide pulleys adjacent each side of the door and each' of said counterweights, flexible connections passing respectively about. one of said pinch groove pulleys and said guides respectively, one end of each connection being connected withs'aid lower section, and the other end thereof being secured to a .dead end fitting after said connections pass about the pulley upon said counterweight, a shaft intermediate the jambs of the door opening, means arresting downward movement of said counterweights respectively, whereby said pinch groove pulleys may be caused to impart simultaneous movement in opposite direc* tions to said door sections and to said counterweights when opening or closing the door, and will remain inoperative to impart further movement to said door when move.-

ment of said counterweights is arrested or the door is fully closed, and means whereby opposite the hinged connections between same and said upper section, said projections being adapted to engage the sill of a door opening slightly'before or substantially simultaneously withvthese'ctions coming into the same vertical plane, and cause pivotal action of both sections about the hinges con necting same, co-operating means adjacent the jambs of the door opening and carried by and permitting pivotal movement of said lower section, whereby the lower portion thereof is caused to have only a substantially vertical and turning movement, counterweights at opposite sides of a door opening, a .pulley carried by each of said counterweights, a shaft, two pinch groove pulleys upon said shaft, guide pulleys adjacent each side of thedoor and each of said counterweights, flexible connections passing respectively about one of said pinch groove pulleys and said guides respectively, one end of each connection being connected with said lower section, andt-he other end thereof being secured to a dead end fitting after said connections pass about the pulley upon said counterweight, a shaft intermediate the jambs of the door opening, means arresting downward movement of said counterweights respectively, whereby said pinch groove pulleys may be caused to impart simultaneous movement in opposite directions to said door sections and to said counterweights when opening or closing the door, and will remain inoperative to impart further movement to said door when movement of said counterweights is arrested" or the door is ,fully sections about the hinges connecting same,

co-operating means adjacent the jambs of the door opening and carried by and permitting pivotal movement of said lower secand turning movement, counterweights atopposite sides of a door opening, a pulley carried by each of said counterweights, a shaft, two pinch groove pulleys upon said shaft, guide pulleys adjacent each side of the door and each of said countcrweights,

flexible connections passing respectively about one of said pinch 'groove pulleys and said guides respectively, one end ofeaeh connection being connected with said lower section,-and the other end thereof being se- I cured to a dead end fitting after said con,- nec'tions pass about the pulley upon said counterweight, a shaft intermediate the jambs of the door opening, means arresting downward movement 7 of said counterweights respectively, whereby said pinch groove pulleys may be caused to impart simultaneous movement in-opposite directions to said door sections and to said counterweights' when opening or closing the door, and will remain inoperative to impart further movement to said door when movement of'said counterweights is arrested or the door is fully closed, and means whereby power may be applied to said shaft.

7. A warehouse door embodying an upper section hinged adjacent the lintel of a door opening, a lower section hinged thereto, projections upon the side of said lower section, opposite the hinged connection between same and said upper section, said projections being adapted to engage-the'sill of a door opening slightly before or substantially simultaneously with the sections coming intothe same vertical plane, and cause pivotal action of both sections about the hinges connecting same, co-opcratingmeans adjacent the jambs of the door opening carried by and permitting pivotal movement of said lower section, whereby the lower portion thereof is caused to have only a sub'stantially vertical and turning movement, and means operati-ve upon said lower door section for opening and closing the door.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 20th day of November, 1926.

ROBERT. s; PEELLE. 

